Deadly start to 2020 as road crashes claim 9 lives

Road accidents have already claimed the lives of nine Kenyans across the country, early reports show.

This marks a deadly start to 2020 and has cast a shadow on the wave of celebrations as most Kenyans ushered in the new year.

BARINGO

The highest death toll recorded so far is from an early morning accident along the Eldama Ravine-Eldoret road in Baringo County at around 5 am that claimed five lives.

The driver of the car, identified as 27-year-old Philip Kemboi -- the son of Athletics Kenya (AK) official Barnabas Kitilit -- is said to have lost control of the vehicle which landed in a ditch at Kabonyony junction.

UMOINNER BUS

In Nairobi, one woman died and four others -- including a boda boda rider -- were critically injured in an accident involving an Umoinner bus and a motorbike that happened before midday at Makongeni area in Nairobi.

The accident happened when the speeding bus, while trying to swerve to avoid hitting an oncoming car, hit a boda boda rider at the Church Army roundabout.

Passengers and witnesses said the bus was speeding from the Nairobi CBD towards Donholm when the accident occurred.

Seven of the passengers are nursing slight injuries and are receiving treatment at Mama Lucy Hospital.

The woman's body was taken to the City Mortuary. Meanwhile, police are looking for the driver of the bus who fled from the scene.

KERICHO

In Kericho County, two people died following a head-on collision between a car and a motorbike along the Kericho-Litein highway mid-morning Wednesday.

Felicia Nafula, the Bureti Sub-County Police Commander, confirmed the incident which occurred in Cheborus village in Chelilis along the busy highway.

“The boda boda rider died on the spot while the passenger, who sustained serious head injuries, died while undergoing treatment at Litein AIC Hospital,” she said. The bodies have been moved to the hospital’s mortuary.

The driver of the car, who was alone, is said to have fled the scene of the accident and was yet to surrender to the police by the time of going to press.

The car, which was heading to Litein trading centre, has since been towed to the police station along with the motor cycle that was travelling in the opposite direction.

Residents of the area blocked the busy highway for over an hour in protest and it took the intervention of police for them to allow traffic flow.

“We have cleared the road after addressing the residents who were demanding that bumps should be erected in the area to avert loss of lives,” said Ms Nafula.

Geoffrey Mutai, a resident, said there had been more than 10 accidents in the area yet no action had been taken both by the traffic police and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).

“Boda boda riders have often been blamed for causing accidents in the area yet it is actually Probox vehicle drivers who speed and break all traffic rules,” he said.

KIRINYAGA

In Kirinyaga County, a pedestrian was crushed to death and another person seriously injured along the Kutus-Rwambiti road.

The two were delivering milk to the market for sale when they were hit by a car at Kianyaga area.

According to witnesses, the victim, identified as Lewis Mwangi, 40, succumbed to his injuries on arrival at Kerugoya Referral Hospital while John Kinyua survived.

Mr Kinyua suffered head and leg injuries and is undergoing treatment at Kianyaga Sub-County Hospital.

Following the accident, angry residents protested and attempted to attack the driver but he sped off and sought refuge at Kianyaga Police Station.

"The survivor is my farmhand ... he was badly injured," said Mr Denis Kariuki, who is a primary school headteacher.

Kirinyaga East police boss Anthony Wanjuu said the driver has been questioned in connection with the accident and will be charged with causing death by careless driving once investigations are complete.

Reports by Eric Matara, Mary Wambui, Vitalis Kimutai and George Munene